In Love and Hate
by JadeFaeryQueen
Summary: Anko has been having nightmares and cannot shake the feelings that her old sensei is near. Will she be able to confront her nightmares, or will she once again fall victim to Orochimaru?REVISED... and stuff. I promise I will add another chapter someday...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters. I am doing this only for fun, so please don't sue me... I'm broke.

Anko jolted from her bed with a soft cry, clutching one hand to the left side of her neck. The dreams were getting much worse. At first, she had dismissed the dream as her subconscious letting loose some of the tension she had acquired. Being an instructor was not without stress. But now, she was not so sure. At first, she had not been able to recall vivid details, only raw fear... Now, for the past month, the dream had been coming to her two and sometimes three times a night, and the more she tried to remember, to hold onto the little scraps of the dream, the more of it slipped from between her fingers. Tonight, however was very different. Her breathing was ragged, coming in tiny gasps here and there, as though the air were a liquid that she must force herself to swallow. Her trembling hand remained latched to her left side, where her shoulder met her neck. It burned as though it was a fresh wound once more, pulsating with each pained breath she took. She hissed with pain and tried to move, but could not gather the strength to do so. It was as if she was under the spell once more, drained of strength and devoid of the hope that this pain would pass, that the one who cast such a curse upon her would have mercy.

Sweat trickled down her cheek, as she clenched her jaw, trying to muffle the sounds of her agony. It was as if- no! that was impossible! How could he, why would he be here? Oh God, he had to be close by. The seal had its tendencies to act up, but never to such a degree; The pain had never been so...fresh, so raw as it was at this moment. 'Why?' He had to be somewhere near, maybe even lurking somewhere in the shadows beyond her window... "Stop it," she commanded herself in a vehement whisper. To disprove her paranoia, she painfully jerked her head in the direction of the window. The pain was so great that for several seconds, her vision was obstructed by a flash of white. Her vision cleared as she blinked back her tears, only to slam her eyes shut once more. It was no use. The vision of two golden eyes still swam in the darkness behind her eyelids. Had she really seen those eyes, or was it merely an after image of her nightmare? He wouldn't be here now, she told herself, trying to calm herself. She slowly opened her eyes once more. No gleaming eyes awaited her at the window, nor anywhere else around her room. The pain was slowly waning, and her breathing no longer so labored. Drawing her knees to her chest, she curled up in a tight little ball, sobbing quietly. She chastised herself for the few tears she shed, but nevertheless, allowed herself to weep.

Her physical torture gave way to the mental agony that plagued her daily life. She continued to weep as if she were that lost little child, tossed aside so many painful years ago. And for what reason? All she had done was dare to trust him, even love and admire him. Suddenly, she was there again, in that dark room, left alone with the harsh words of his departure... "You are lacking... Hate. Vengeance. And everything else."

Someday, she would show him that she was not that useless ninja that he had taken her for. She would prove to him that she was not without hate, nor without a vengeful heart. Rage had become her sustenance, and the rage had given way to complex emotions of hopelessness and self loathing. Oh, she had plenty of hate now. It didn't matter who or what it was directed towards so long as it was a part of her, so long as it drove her. Anko lusted for vengeance against the one who had twisted in this way, and God help her, she would have it.

Still trembling, still lost in the dark waters of her own thoughts, she eased herself down onto her pillow. She drew the covers over her head, like a child hiding from the monsters in the dark. She knew that he was near. She was both excited and terrified of what that meant, but nevertheless, knew that they would come face to face. And when that happened, he would hear her out. She would make him pay. Her time was near, and she knew it. Anko almost smiled at that thought. "I do have hate, Sensei, you'll see."

When they met, she would be sure to show him that she did indeed possess hate, vengeance, and everything else.

Finally, exhaustion took over, and she allowed herself to drift into a restless sleep, haunted by the vision of those golden eyes hovering just above her...


	2. Chapter 2

The dark man chuckled to himself, golden eyes flashing as a smirk played upon his lips. His long, blue-black hair slowly danced in the wind as he silently approached the darkened window. It had been a while since he had payed a visit to Anko. He liked to check up on his former student from time to time, uncaring in the fact that he may encounter one of the villages's Jounin. That could be a very messy situation, but he enjoyed the risk. After all, what kind of teacher would he be to not look out for his student's well-being?

The room beyond was dark, but he could see her sleeping form on the bed perfectly. Her sleep seemed to be restless, for she was tossing and turning, her hands balling into fists and then releasing them. Her hands shot out and grasped handfuls of sheets, wrenching them this way and that as she whimpered. He felt something akin to concern and his brow furrowed as he watched her struggling with her inner demons. He closed his eyes, gathering up a small amount of his chakra. He put two fingers under his chin, opened his eyes, and sent the chakra towards her. 'Wake up, Anko.'

She jolted from her sleep violently, a small cry escaping her lips. She was clutching her neck so fiercely that tiny rivers of crimson trickled from her fingertips. The Curse Seal was reacting to his presence. He could dispel the effect, but he chose to watch her, to see how she dealt with it. It was not that he desired to see her suffer; He just wanted to test her strength. He would not cause her anymore pain than what he thought she could handle. He knew his student's limitations well, and was not unimpressed in the least. Her strength had grown since he had left her alone. Well... he didn't exactly leave her. He had been keeping an eye on her all along. For once, he felt some measure of pride in one of his students' accomplishments.

He had been watching her for some time now. She had done well for herself in this village, becoming one of the elite, a teacher of young ninjas. She should have felt proud of herself, satisfied with the faith that the Hokage had put in her, and yet every time he would come to check on her, she looked so... pitiful. Her eyes held that emptiness, a sort of longing for the unattainable. No one else in the villiage would have truly been able to see past her facade of fortitude, but he knew better, just like right now he could sense that beyond her pain, there was fear. She feared the source of her pain, denied its presence. She would have to learn to face her fear instead of denying them so bluntly. He would have to show her... 'Look at me, Anko! Acknowledge your fears. Don't deny me.' When she learned to acknowledge her fears, her pain would be put at ease.

He saw her shiver, knowing yet not knowing that she had indeed heard her sensei. A faint smile tugged the corners of his lips as he watched her struggle with herself. Trying to turn towards the window, yet resisting herself. Finally, she jerked her head towards the dark window, almost as if trying to rip a bandage from a wound. At first, she could not see, could not register the shapes in the dark. He moved closer to the window, close enough to just barely be seen. She blinked and gasped, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. She had seen him, but refused to admit to herself, refused to believe that he was there. He knew well enough that she would try to rationalize this as a product of an imagination still active from the recent nightmare. She was still denying him, but she had done well. He backed away from the window, returning to his veil of shadows. 'Good girl.'

He saw Anko has begun to relax somewhat, her muscles becoming less tense, her breathing not so ragged and strained. He never took his eyes off of her as she drew her knees up to her chest. He knew she was crying; Internally she knew that she had been taking another one of her master's tricky tests, and felt, somehow, that she had failed. He closed his eyes briefly and sighed. She would learn, someday, how his "grading system" worked. It was a stone wall that he would have to continue to slowly chisel at, but when he was done, it would be a beautiful sculpture.

She drew further into herself, pulling the sheets over her head. I suppose some habits never truly die, he thought, remembering her late childhood and early teenage years. Sometimes she would wake in the middle of the night, her fears pulling her from sleep, and draw the blankets over her head. No one would guess that this brilliant student, this formidable young lady would sometimes be unable to sleep without the glow of a lantern and the false security of a fortress made of sheets. For some reason, he had always admired these little flaws in Anko; He found them to be... cute. Despite the last words that he had uttered to her, despite the fact that he had "abandoned" her, he still considered himself responsible for her well-being. He had continued to watch, follow, and protect her.

She had never truly known that he had continued to watch, of course; She assumed her sensei had just tossed her aside. She could sometimes sense that he was there, but had told herself that she was just imagining it all. (Not exactly becoming of a ninja, but it worked out fine for him.) She still denied her bond to him; She still did not understand that it was not just The Curse Seal that bonded them... That was another thing that he would have to help her work on. She would have to learn to have more trust in her instincts. No matter. All things would come in good time.

He stayed outside her window until she fell asleep, watching her chest rise and fall beneath the blankets. He would stay just a bit longer, but he would have to depart soon. Dawn was fast approaching. Lingering a few moments longer, he turned and began to walk away. He had plans to see her again soon enough, but in the meantime, he had some work to do. When he reached the edge of the forest, he turned toward her cottage once more. "Good night, Anko," he spoke softly into the wind. And with that, Orochimaru was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Sensei... So many meanings were fused together in this one simple word. Teacher, mentor, protector. Idol, hero, savior. Torment, abandonment, loss. Betrayal, lies, heartache. It was all Anko could do to forget. When the wound of his betrayal was still fresh, she had been in constant anguish. The realization of his actions, her sudden understanding of it all had given way to intense, unrelenting pain greater even than the curse seal that he had placed upon her.

When she found her way back to Konoha, broken and in a daze, she had spoken to no one.She simply stared off, looking through everyone and everything, eyes seemingly focused on some distant world. She had gone days without eating, her body and mind becoming weaker by the day.

After some time, the Hokage had broken her trance, had managed to make her eat and get her to open up to him. She spoke of Orochimaru's actions, but only once and only to him alone. She trusted the Hokage, but was not quite sure why. Perhaps it was his gentleness or his protective attitude towards her and all the village of Konoha. Perhaps it was because he had once been Orochimaru's sensei...

In time, she learned to better control her emotions, learned to bottle them up inside her and bury the painful memories in the back of her mind, rather than face it all. She had refused to accept it, pretending that nothing had happened, but it continued to fester silently inside her. Internally she knew that someday all of those bottled emotions and memories would surface. There had been times when some of her calamity seeped through the cracks of her barrier, but had not gushed forth completely. At this moment, however, it threatened to burst through her and crumble the dam that she had so carefully built.

Another nightmare. Only this time... it wasn't quite a nightmare. Was it a nightmare if you enjoyed it? Anko was horrified, and nightmares brought terror, of course... But Anko was more horrified with herself for enjoying the dream, for relishing every moment, fighting to stay asleep.

This nightmare was different than the others. The other dreams brought only fear, such intense fear that more than once she had awakened violently, kunai in hand, ready to flee... But she never remembered any of them, only fear...and those golden eyes...

She wept silently as she replayed it over and over again, hot tears burning a trail on her cold skin. The eyes hovered above her, twinkling with a malicious, yet playful light. Pale lips formed into that strange smile of his as the fear welled up inside of her. His pale hands reached out for her, touching and caressing her, awakening parts of her body in ways that no other man could. She was afraid, but not ashamed, making half-hearted protests as his mouth traveled from her ears to her neck and lower, leaving trails of kisses and gentle bites here and there.

She remembered those hands all over her, his silken voice whispering in her ears, making her shiver with fear and excitement. She let herself be taken over, dominated by desire and need. Oh God, she needed this so badly. She was on fire under his skilled touch, ready to sacrifice everything for this one moment of passion and-

All at once, it stopped. His hands, his lips, all gone. This is where she had awakened, trembling, once again feeling abandoned.

"Please," she whispered, pleading to the dark, unsure of what she was asking for. "Please..." She was beyond confused, lost within herself. "Sensei..." The curse seal throbbed, though not painfully, as if it were... trying to comfort her? Strange... she did feel comforted, her tears drying and her body becoming relaxed once more. Why was the seal acting like this, when normally all it brought her was pain?

Her eyelids became heavy before she could think more into the subject. She needed sleep; The Chunin exams were tomorrow. It would be another hellish day. With a heavy sigh, she settled into bed once more, all but forgetting the dream.

She looked so beautiful when she slept. Orochimaru entered her room when he was sure that she was in a deep sleep, thanks to a little help from the curse seal. He stood over her bed, looking down at her, listening to her rhythmic breathing. He had to admit that she had grown into a beautiful woman, especially now with her long plum-colored hair splayed on the pillow. It was rare to see her hair down rather and pinned up. He liked it.

He really shouldn't be there now. He hadn't planned on coming back, but he couldn't help himself. Once again, he had watched her outside the window as she slept. This time, she didn't appear to be having a nightmare, but nonetheless, he had watched her dreaming. She hadn't been tossing and turning, but she made soft little moans and was reaching out into the dark. He was curious as to what the dream was about. If only he could get inside her head... He hadn't quite perfected a technique of that sort... not just yet.

Her eyelids fluttered open, and he heard her sobbing. Apparently the dream was something that had really gotten to her. Then he heard something that truly shocked him. She was whispering, but he still heard her speak to him. "Please... Please Sensei..."

_'Please what, Anko? What is it you want?' _He activated the seal, not to cause her pain, but to calm her. After that, he waited patiently for her to sleep. It hadn't taken long at all. Now he stood beside her, smoothing her long bangs from her face. He remembered secretly doing such things when he had first taken her on as his student. It was different now. He no longer saw her as that innocent child. He knew that they had had a bond between teacher and student... but now it was something different; It went beyond that.

She wasn't the right student for him. He had taught her all her could, and was proud of how quickly she had learned... but she was not the right one. She wasn't meant to do the evil deeds he did. His kind of world just wasn't meant for her. She was noble, and he was far from it. She was pure, and he was anything but. He admired her innocence, and for some reason, it was something that he had no desire to taint with his own darkness. He... cared about her too much to do that to her. It was strange that he could grow to care about something good, when he despised so much that was.

He regretted leaving his precious young student, but it had to be done, lest she change into something that was not _his _Anko. Now, he was back. He couldn't leave her. He didn't quite know why; He had never felt anything like this before. He sighed heavily, knowing that he couldn't stay. Patience, he told himself, patience. He would be able to see her soon, without her having to be asleep. He smirked at the thought. What a shock it would be to her to see her sensei, in the flesh, after all these years.

He leaned down, breathing in her scent, his lips brushing against her forehead, lightly kissing her. Her breathing caught in her throat, and she reached her hand out, her fingertips lightly stroking his cheek before dropping back down to her side. He smiled at her. In a breathy whisper, he said, "I'll be seeing you... sooner than you think..."

And with that, he stood up once more and then made his way out through the open window. He would be looking forward to tomorrow, but right now, he had some business to attend to with a few Grass ninjas...


	4. Chapter 4

All was dark and quiet in the Forest of Death. Strange that a place so deadly could hold such beauty. Anko often braved its perils just to be alone with her thoughts. She had no concerns about the various deadly beasts and traps that lay within. In some twisted way, this place was ideal for Anko, her own private paradise. There was beauty in its life, its sometimes cruel death, its never-ending cycle of natural selection, the weeding out of the weak. Strange that she would find such solace in a place that so reminded her of her own failures, her own weakness and imperfection. Anko wanted nothing more than to be acknowledged for her success, and that she was. She was regarded as one of the strongest and most valuable assets of Konoha, and yet this seemed to not be enough for her. Her title of Anko-sama, her unquestionable abilities as a Chunin instructor, and her various commendations,from Lord Hokage himself, for her strength, wisdom, and loyalty to Konoha all seemed so insignificant. They did little to quench her thirst for acknowledgement. She often mentally kicked herself for being so ungrateful, so selfish in her pursuits. She would often chastise herself, asking what more did she want?

Anko sighed as she sat just on the forest's edge, drinking her dango juice.She should be getting up to check on the students' progress soon. This year's bunch looked rather promising, especially Kakashi's group. All in all, those three would have to be something special: Kakashi had not passed a single student until this year. _'I wonder how they managed to pass?' _Her thoughts drifted back to a couple years ago. She had been looking for Kakashi to have a word with him and had happened upon him and three young Genin battling it out over _bells. _She couldn't help but laugh at the image of two students latched on his legs and one on his arm, Kakashi flailing his limbs uselessly in an attempt to free himself. _'I wonder if he used the old get-the-bell trick with these three?'_ She chuckled lightly, taking another long drink. She admired Kakashi; he was an excellent teacher and a brilliant ninja, but also, a loyal friend in which she could confide in. There had been many a night in which, finished with the day's work, she and Kakashi had enjoyed a bottle (or five) of sake and good conversation. He and the Hokage were the only two people that she had told anything of her past.

She was content to sit there and enjoy the peaceful day, but was jerked out of her daze by a voice calling to her. "Big trouble, Anko-sama!"

"What is it?" Anko glared coldly at the owner of the voice. It was rare that Anko had any time at all to relax, so she was less than thrilled about this disturbance. _'This had better be good,' _she thought.

"Bodies... Three of them..." He was out of breath, sweating and his face was chalk-white with fear. Something had obviously gotten to this guy. He was shaking, sweat seeping from his pores. "...Bodies?" she asked, her expression remaining emotionless and seemingly uninterested. "Yeah, and they're... weird. Please, come!"

_'Hmmm... what could be so weird about dead bodies?'_

"I examined their papers and personal items, and it seems that they were Grass ninja that were entered into the exams. But," said the shinobi as he turned one of the corpses on its back, "They have no faces... They're blank as though... As though they were melted off."

Anko was speechless for a moment, taken aback by the sight before her. She began to sweat, but her body felt colder than ice. "Let me see their ID cards," she commanded, snatching them out of the man's hands. She stared at all three of them, but only one stood out to her. She studied the face of the grass ninja with long, black hair, mocha-colored skin, and a wide mouth. She recognized him... She had caught sight of him while going over the rules for the second part of the exam. They had locked eyes briefly and had gotten one of the worst damned cold chills. She thought that perhaps she had been picking up something... strange about him, but had dismissed it. After all, it wasn't out of the ordinary for a Grass ninja to form a blood pact with serpents, as she had.

But when she had locked eyes with him... She felt something akin to fear, perhaps dread. And something else... something eerily familiar, but she had refused to validate it. She simply dismissed it as nothing and went on explaining to the young Genin. _'Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it!' _she cursed herself inwardly. _'How could I have just _ignored _that?!' _She continued to inwardly curse herself. Because she had ignored her instincts, one of the most basic tools used by a shinobi, she may have just put this entire village in jeopardy.

_'There is no mistaking it. This is _his _jutsu! But why is he here?!' _That was it! She couldn't take being like this anymore. She allowed her hatred and anger to bubble up to the surface, her face twisting in rage, and then she took off. She thought for a moment that she should have called an ANBU squad, but she didn't turn back. She couldn't turn back now. She wanted to do this on her own; she wanted to be the one to put that arrogant bastard in his place.

It would be dark soon, and that would put her at a worse disatvantage than what she already was. She knew well of his keen eyesight in the darkness. It had been part of her training when she was younger, but it hadn't exactly been something that she excelled at. _'Why is he here at a time like this? What exactly is his purpose?'_

Orochimaru closed his eyes and allowed his muscles to relax as he sank deeper into the tree. That kid was more skilled than what he thought he would be. He smiled to himself, remembering just how terrified he had made the Uchiha boy and his team mates. That was one thing down, now he had other things to take care of. He imagined that the bodies of the three grass ninjas would have been found by now; he hadn't exactly taken great care to hide them. But, just as in all things that he did, he had done that for a reason. He wanted them to find the bodies.

He knew that the shinobis' first reaction would be to tell the Chunin instructor, Anko. He knew her well enough to know that upon recognizing his jutsu, she would seek him out and try to track him down. That was precisely why he was staying in this one spot. He wanted Anko to find him. It had been a long time since they had had a face to face encounter of any sort. He was also counting on the possibility that she would be too shocked to call an ANBU squad to search the area. That would give him more... quality time with his former student.

He chuckled to himself at his image of the look on her face, the look of realization that he had returned. Perhaps this, if anything, would teach her to trust more in her instincts. That seemed to be one of her main problems, and Orochimaru enjoyed teaching people the hard way. To him, any other way was a waste of time. A lesson learned any other way was only learning half the lesson. Experience was everything.

He smiled to himself as he sensed Anko drawing closer, his excitement growing as he sensed her fear, her anger and desperation. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy this immensely...


	5. Chapter 5

OoOoOoOo

Alright! HA! I fixed the stuff that was bugging me about this chapter... Nothing major; most of it has remained the same, but we all know how the little things can make a very big difference. Anyways, to those who haven't already read this chapter, there is a lemon and some naughty language... and stuff.

Oh, and I don't own Naruto, and don't have enough money to buy it, so, ya know, don't sue me. I'm working on Micky D's salary, so unless you want a Big Mac or something... don't sue me.

Enjoy!

-JFQ-

OoOoOoOo

It was growing dark and eerily more quiet as Anko leapt from tree to tree. Her bangs lashed at her face, caught in the wind created by her speed, as if trying to perform some violent, ritualistic dance to mimic the emotions coursing through her. Feelings of confusion, anger, fear, and disbelief slammed her frantic brain at once. She had countless reasons to fear this encounter, but all of them seemed inconsequential. His power, his talent for the forbidden techniques, even his ability to melt her very face from her flesh and use her body as a vessel were somehow the very least of her worries. So then why _was _she afraid?

The same questions replayed inside her head over and over. _'Why are you here? What do you want?' _She landed on a branch high above the forest's floor, contemplating whether or not she should turn back. If she turned back to call for an ANBU squad now, it could be too late to stop him, he would get away. But if she faced him... It wasn't that she was afraid that he could easily kill her. In all reality, he certainly could, but she had faced many enemies that could have easily killed her. But if she faced him... _'Oh so _now _you choose to be afraid!' _she shouted mentally at herself. Still, she hesitated. The seal on her neck tingled sharply, like a new supply of blood flowing to a numb limb. She fingered her neck lightly and took in a deep breath. There was simply no turning back now.

She began running once more, focusing on the curse seal's intensity as she raced through the deadly forest. _'I can _feel _him.' _Her heart raced and blood pounded in her ears. She was getting closer now. Closer... closer... _'There!'_ She landed on the limb of a massive tree. It's surface was sturdy and the top was almost flat, so she could walk without having to worry about losing her balance. There was just enough light for her to see the trunk of the ancient tree as she made her way up to it, slowly, cautiously. Hanging upside-down, embedded in the trunk, was her sensei. His long, black hair hung, splayed out and pooling just inches above the base of the branch. She stopped within a few feet of him, wearing a cold expression. His eyes were closed as if in deep meditation, and part of the face he wore was melted away in fragment, revealing the contrast between his pale skin and the mocha-colored "mask" her wore.

She heard him draw in a breath and his eyes opened as he spoke in the tone that so chilled her. "Anko... It's been awhile."

"We don't have for this. You're an S class criminal, so I suppose that it should be my duty to stop you. Isn't that right, Sensei!" She spat the title at him as she drew her blades, ready to fight him. Just as she threw the blades, his tongue shot out at her grasping her wrists in a jutsu that she was more than familiar with. He had become talented in his abilities to bend his body like that of a serpent. She gritted her teeth and performed her Hidden Snake Hands jutsu, struggling with the appendage wrapped around her wrists. Several snakes slithered from her sleeve and shot towards Orochimaru, latching on to him. She tugged with all the force she could muster, ripping him out of the tree and slamming him into the trunk of another. His tongue withdrew as her snakes slipped back into her sleeve, and she launched herself at him, her kunai gripped tightly in her hand.

She grabbed hold of his right wrist, pinning it to the tree with her own as she slammed her kunai through both of their palms, lodging the blade deep into the wood. She grinned victoriously in his face, studying him as she declared, "Got ya." She remained like that for a moment, then grabbed his left hand. "Now, let me just borrow your left hand," she said as she formed a hand sign that she never thought she would have to use. Orochimaru inhaled sharply, breathlessly uttering, "That hand sign..."

"That's right," she stated almost arrogantly, "You and I will die here." With that, she closed her eyes, not fully believing that she was doing this. She hesitated, feeling almost guilty, almost regretting her action, and was almost afraid of her impending doom. She gathered her strength, blocking out her thoughts as she prepared to carry out the Sacrifice jutsu. Then she heard a chilling voice behind her. "Are you trying to commit suicide?"

Her eyes snapped open wide, her mouth agape in surprise. She looked over her shoulder to see her sensei looming just a few feet behind her. He tugged the melted mask of flesh from his face, revealing his true one, the one that had haunted her dreams for so many years. "Substitution," he stated simply, referring to the figure she had pinned to the tree. She looked back at the clone in time to see it melt back into the mud from which it came, Orochimaru's amused laugh echoing in her ears. She began shaking, hanging her head low, fighting back the tears of anger and humiliation. _'How could I have fallen for that?'_ She sulked for a moment, but snapped out of her daze when she heard footsteps coming toward her.

She whipped around, tearing the kunai out of the tree and launching it at him desperately. The kunai, slick with her blood, was caught easily between his fingers, and he dropped it on the ground, the blade sticking in the bark. "That won't work, Anko," he said with a sly smile. He raised two fingers under his chin and focused on her curse seal, and within seconds she dropped to her knees, clutching her neck. The pain seared throughout her body, her breathing became labored and she broke into a sweat, trembling in pain and fear. Orochimaru's expression changed from one of amusement to one that was undefinable, as he walked slowly toward his cowering student. "You're one of the elite now, Anko. It's not very wise of you to be using that forbidden jutsu I taught you."

"Fuck you," she choked out. He grinned broadly, her vulgarity obviously humoring him. "It's been a while since we've seen each other, well, since you've seen me, and yet... You're so cold, Anko." She looked at him, dumbfounded for a moment. _'Since I've seen _him?' Her eyes widened in shock. A sudden wave of realization washed over her. Had he been spying on her? She shook it off and demanded, "Why are you here? Don't tell me you've come to kill Lord Hokage?"

"Oh no, not yet. I don't have quite enough followers to attempt something like that," he replied, kneeling in front of her. She resisted the urge to back further into the tree. She refused to show him that she was afraid, even though she was quite sure that the trembling was giving it away.

"Then just what the fuck did you come here for?" she spat at him vehemently. "Oh, a few reasons. One of them was to see you, my dear Anko," he said, eyes flashing with a strange light. "Oh please! Just what in the hell do you want with me now? You abandoned me, and now you want something out of me. Fuck you, you smug bastard," she almost screamed at him. It hurt to talk, much less yell at him the way she so wished she could do. But with every word she spoke, though she felt she had the right and that he deserved every curse her body could muster, she felt a strange kind of pain stabbing through her body.

His expression changed almost unnoticeably, and he brought his hand up to caress her cheek. Part of her wanted to recoil from his touch, and yet part of her wanted to lean into it, to return it, but instead, she remained still, looking into his golden eyes. "You can't forgive me, can you?" he asked, looking straight into her eyes. The expression on his face was almost unbefitting of someone such as he. It was not that Orochimaru had never shown concern for her when she was younger, but now this expression was different. It almost seemed as if he were asking for her forgiveness, which was something that she had never seen nor heard of her sensei doing. Even so, Anko was finding it increasingly more difficult to stay angry enough to fight him, even as the pain of the Curse Seal was subsiding. She averted her eyes, unable to answer his question, confused as to why he was even asking it. Her gaze fell upon her wounded hand; She noticed that some of the blood was beginning to coagulate. Orochimaru slipped his fingers under her chin, tilting her gaze to meet his once she forgive him? Is that what he had come here for? To seek forgiveness for tossing her aside like a broken toy?

She felt tears forming in her eyes. Not wanting Orochimaru to see, she jerked her head away from him, eyes squeezed shut, and muttered angrily, "If you have come to ask forgiveness for abandoning me, then you're wasting your time, Orochimaru." Orochimaru visibly flinched, unaccustomed to Anko addressing him so informally. He sighed heavily and wore a frown once more, then took hold of her wrist and inspected her injured hand. Anko tried to pull it away, but he held tight, shooting her a look that even to this day caused her to be still. Keeping a firm grip on her wrist, her reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out a vile. Popping the top, he dipped his finger in and spread a strange, green liquid over her wounds. "That wasn't a rational or a logical attack you decided to use," he stated, lecturing as if she were still his student. He continued to doctor her injured hand, ripping a piece of cloth from his robes and then began wrapping it around her hand while she sat there, frozen and confused. "That attack is to be used as a last resort," he continued, "not a first to run into battle with. When an attack such as that goes wrong, well, I'm sure you can guess the consequences." He looked up at her once more, eyes boring into her. "Besides," he said, smirking, "your heart wasn't in it at all."

She closed her eyes tight; He had caught her. By saying her heart wasn't into it, because she hesitated, he was implying that she didn't really want him dead. He knew it. He had always known exactly how to read her. The pain in her neck subsided and she stood on shaky legs once more, glaring at him coldly. She was still angry, but still not angry enough to attempt anything too radical. "Have you lost your nerve already, Anko? Come on, where's that fire, that anger that fueled you earlier?" Orochimaru taunted, obviously reverting back to his arrogant self. Anko glared at him for a brief moment before launching herself at him once more. She had gotten skilled, but not enough to match him, as he blocked and dodged her every attack. She became frustrated and blinded by her rage, letting her guard down just long enough for Orochimaru to move in for the kill. He easily captured one of her wrists, and then the other, pinning them behind her back. His grip was vice-like as she struggled to free herself.

Anko groaned in frustration and felt herself being pulled closer to Orochimaru's body. Before she could attempt anything, she was spun around and found herself pinned to the tree. She struggled with his hands briefly, but ceased when she caught sight of her sensei. The expression in his eyes was... strange. His eyes flickered with amusement and... something else. She locked eyes with him for several seconds, but looked away, feeling vulnerable and exposed. His familiar chuckle greeted her ears as she tried desperately to wriggle her hands free of his grip. He began to lean his face toward hers, and she was still once more. She suspected that he meant to whisper some insult in her ear to get her worked up once more.

He stayed like that for a moment, his eyes never leaving hers. Anko's heart rate quickened, as if she sensed something was about to happen. She felt vulnerable under his gaze, hypnotized by it. Orochimaru studied her face; He could see her fear and confusion, but underlying those emotions were desire and longing swimming in the depths of her caramel colored eyes. Desire for acknowledgement, for attention, for _him._

Before Anko realized it, he was mere inches from her face. She opened her mouth to protest, but was caught off guard as he brought his lips to capture hers. Her soft moan of surprise was muffled by his mouth. Anko's eyes opened wide, but slid shut as she fell into the kiss, giving in to him. His mouth moved over hers slowly, skillfully,his teeth biting into her lower lip, tantalizing her. He snaked his hand into her hair, pulling gently to tilt her head back as he slid his tongue into her mouth, growing excited as he listened to her rapid breathing. He pressed his body into hers, his knee moving between her legs, spreading them as he snapped the clip holding her hair up. Her long, purple tresses cascaded down around her shoulders.

Anko knew that this was wrong, that this alone was the betrayal of her village, of everything she had worked so hard for. And yet... this felt so right. Though every fiber of her being was screaming with want, she knew that she _needed _this, no matter how wrong it was. She had been denying it for years, but she could no longer deny that she had missed him. Orochimaru broke the kiss, breathing deeply, staring into Anko's half-lidded eyes. He then leaned toward her once more, nuzzling her neck.

Anko felt his hot breath on her ear, tickling and causing her to shudder involuntarily. He stayed like that for a moment, taking in her scent. Anko began to get nervous, her stomach tightening. Suddenly she gasped as she felt his lips wrap around her earlobe, sucking gently, then nibbling. Her breathing halted for a moment before coming in deep, heavy sighs. She couldn't believe that this was happening. Part of her was still screaming that this was wrong, that she should try to defeat him, or, at the very least, escape. She knew he would stop if only she asked; Orochimaru was many things, but he was no rapist, that much she knew. It was strange, but she supposed that even evil shinobi such as he had to draw the line somewhere. But she couldn't move, didn't have the will to move and remained pinned. She couldn't hold back the soft moan that escaped her lips as his mouth moved to her neck, his sharp fangs grazing her sensitive skin, causing goose bumps to form. He withdrew from her neck, hands shifting to pin both of her wrists with one, long-fingered hand as he used his free hand to begin lifting up her mesh shirt.

Anko began to squirm again, trying to get free to stop his hand from exposing her, but he would not relent. She cried out in a mix of pleasure and sweet pain as she felt his fangs sink into the soft flesh of her belly, drawing little droplets of sweet blood. He traced lazy patterns around her wound with his tongue, savoring the sweetness of her life's blood before moving, planting gentle kisses along her sides. His free hand moved to the center of her chest, his fingers slipping under the thin material of her bra. His fingers tugged gently, then simply ripped the material, exposing her voluptuous breasts to him. Anko's eyes opened to find her sensei staring at her, his eyes taking her in. She tried, but could not fight the blush that rose to her cheeks.

She turned her head away, avoiding her sensei's piercing gaze, embarrassed by the attention on her flesh. "Please... don't... don't look at me like that..." She felt his hand on her cheek, turning her to face him. "Do you think that you have something to be ashamed of?" he asked, stroking her cheek gently. Without waiting for an answer, he lowered his head and wrapped his lips around her nipple, suckling gently, eliciting soft moans from her. Her back arched, moving her closer to his teasing mouth. He released her other hand then, wrapping one arm around her waist, pulling her closer as his other began to slip off the trench coat she wore. It slipped off her shoulders and Orochimaru seized it, tossing it over a nearby tree limb. He then busied himself with removing her shorts, slipping his thumbs under the band and pulling them down as he lowered himself to his knees before her.

Anko was in a trance, watching him as he shredded the fishnet stockings she wore like paper. When his tongue met with her wet sex, she cried out in shock and pleasure, her hips shaking, trying to move away from the intense sensations. His hands gripped her hips firmly, keeping them still as he flicked his tongue rapidly over her clitoris. She muttered incoherent words, her hands fisted in Orochimaru's sleek, black hair, and her knees began to buckle. He caught her easily, his hands under her thighs as he all but slammed her back into the tree. She felt his hands as they lifted up his tunic-like robe and then felt his erection on her inner thigh He wanted her badly. That fact both excited and frightened her to no end. She _needed _him, and he knew it. He gazed into her eyes once more, lust shining brightly in his own. She wrapped her arms around him, bringing him closer before giving him a sharp bite of her own, earning a hiss from him. That was all the incentive he needed before he pushed himself into her.

Anko threw her head back, crying out, her fingernails digging into Orochimaru's back as he moved in and out of her slowly, waiting for her to adjust. Anko bit her bottom lip, drawing blood. Anko couldn't tell whether there was pain in the pleasure or pleasure in the pain. She was no virgin, but she was inexperienced and he was almost too large for her. She didn't care, wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper inside of her. Orochimaru watched Anko writhe before him, loving the sound of her moans each time he thrust into her. His beautiful little Anko. She opened her eyes to meet his, not looking away, watching him with lust-filled eyes. He brought his mouth to hers once more, tasting the blood she drew, his tongue sliding over hers.

His pace was torturously slow, driving Anko insane with need. She bucked her hips, but his pace did not change. She heard him chuckling at her, saw the smirk on his face. Something about that smirk made her heart race, and she clung to him, grabbing handfuls of the black shirt he wore underneath his tunic, ripping it slightly so that his robes fell open, exposing his milk-white skin. She bit hard into his collar bone, earning another hiss and the quickened pace she was so longing for. He thrust into her faster, harder, listening to her moans grow louder and more incoherent. "A-ah...! S-Sensei!" This almost drove him over the edge, but he held back. Her choice of words drove his lust to new heights. It was so taboo to be addressed as such in a situation like this; It drove him mad. His smirk broadened as he leaned down, whispering seductively in her ear, "Come for me, Anko..."

Mere seconds after he uttered those words, he felt her contracting in orgasm, her body shuddering violently as she choked out a faint, "Orochimaru-sama..." After a few more moments, he let out a low growl as he spilled his seed inside of her. He remained still for a moment, catching his breath before pulling himself out of her. Her arms hung around his neck limply as he lowered her down from the trunk. He smoothed her sweaty hair from her face, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. Anko layed her head down on his shoulder. "Sensei," she whispered, " why... What makes me so important now? Why come back after so many years?"

After a moment, he sighed, "I never really left you."

"But-"

"I never let you out of my sight. Besides, " he said with that grin of his, "You're mine. You always will be."

She had always known this. She would never truly be free from him, whether it was due to the fact (that she had fiercely denied to herself) that he was her first love, or his curse seal. She had gotten what she had waited so long for. Not his body, but his proclamation of ownership,to hear him claim her, acknowledge her in any little way. So she would never be "free" of him. She didn't care, just so long as he was there, so long as she meant _something_ to him. And for once, laying there with his arms wrapped tightly around her, listening to his breathing, she felt that she _did_ mean something to him.


End file.
